flynn23 wrote:
] You're right. There's no question that there's blood on
] Washington's hands too.

This is certainly true. We are being beligerant. What we are doing is really not right. But its not a conspiracy. We are doing this for security reasons. I'm not convinced that there aren't more peaceful ways.

] I think the article that Tom posted is dead on in terms of
] tactical cues, but it's too narrow in its scope. It's not just
] Al Qaeda we're at war with. It's any force that is opposed to
] the peace and security obtained from the US's perspective of
] being the singular superpower.

Right.

] In contrast, I just feel snowed and lied to. Why
] this surprises me, I don't know.

Make them beleive they are liberators and they will act with compasion and friendship. Make them beleive they are emperialists and they will act with malice and judgement.

The extent to which this is OK is directly related to the extent to which we do this in order to achieve security rather then to acheive economic dominance. This will probably end badly. The question is how long it will take.

If we manage to accomplish a state of security, then things will be alright for a while, but eventually a generation will come up with no understanding of the past who will beleive that it is stupid that we provide all of this security and in exchange we get nothing financially. We'll hate the burden we bare and seek to tax our subjects to subsidise it. Thus we will begin to become more aggressive and malicious in our dealings with other countries until they decided that they have to destroy us in order to remain free. This process could literally take hundreds of years.

If we do not create peace it will be because people continue to hate us as they do now. The hate grows and we continue to be the victims of terrorist attacks. Terrorism will breed fear and radicalism which will produce a hilter like figure who will enslave to secure. The world will plunge into chaos.

Honest, plan A is what the neo-conservatives had been planning from the start. We've served a bit into plan B because of 9/11. We have a very serious PR problem and we better addresses it quickley. We have a chance to get the international community on our side. If we do not, everyone is fucked within a few decades. If we do, then we simply have a critical political responsibility which can be managed for our lifetimes at least.

RE: War. Still a Good Idea.